Hydrate with increased heat

County experiences warmer temperatures

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BY LAURIE GORDONBack track a few months ago, and we all couldn't wait for warmer weather. But now, the past two days have been almost too warm.

Not really. It's just that we aren't used to it.

According to www.weather.com, the temperature will reach 81 degrees in Sparta and Newton Thursday. Temperatures reached 84 degrees on Wednesday and are expected to dip by the end of the week, according to the weather website.

"Acclimating to the heat means paying attention to hydrating your body," said Dr. Robert Pampin of Skylands Medical Group, a practice with offices in Oak Ridge, Franklin and Andover. The Board Certified Family Practitioner is also a member of the American Academy of Family Practice and the American Osteopathic Association.

"A lot of people make the mistake of waiting to drink water or a sports drink until they're thirsty and on their way to dehydration," he said, "It's essential to drink way before you get to that point."

Pampin said with the onset of summer, looking to exercise in the morning or at the end of the day is a smarter idea than going out in the middle of the day. Wearing a hat and dousing it with water is also a good technique, he said.

Keith Raff is the owner of Dirt Cheap Landscaping. Based in Newton, with clients all over the area, so Raff and his employees are out in the heat a lot tending to lawns. "Despite the fact that it's been excessively hot, we've been carrying out our work operations at a normal pace," Raff said. "We've been drinking lots of water and Gatorade as well as seeking shade to cool off when necessary. It's definitely been uncomfortable for us, to say the least, but we are doing what we have to do to stay on schedule."

Psychiatric nurse practitioner, Deborah Drumm, works both at Bridgeway in Andover, and has her own private practice in Newton. She advises her patients to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids.

Find a nice cool spot to relax under a tree or by the water or just stay indoors, she said.

Cornell Thomas is the owner and director of Crossroads Basketball, base in Lafayette. In addition to AAU and an impressive list of clinics it offers throughout the year, Crossroads is famous throughout the area for its youth basketball camps.

"The path with no obstacles is a path to nowhere," Thomas said, "I tell my kids the tougher the practice, the easier the game."

Katie Maio, of Hampton, is hoping to qualify for the Meet of Champions in the fall for cross country. A well-known fact for the sport of running is that the work one does in the summer is pivotal.

"I'm going to the X-Treme Running Camp in August, at Lodestar Park in Newton, and that's a key week for me to get in shape," she said. "I am just going a little bit slower during my distance runs during the heat, hydrating a lot more, and using the adversity to make me a stronger runner."

Ashley Rose Gordon is part of the All Stars Soccer Team, in Fredon. Coached by Charlie Templeton and Bob Mangino, practices and games mandate the players give 100 percent.

"My coaches are awesome and when it gets hot, they make sure we take water breaks," she said. "Personally, I like to enjoy an ice cold Rocket Pop after a game like tonight," she said Tuesday evening after a win in very hot and humid conditions.